England cricketers are 'substantially underpaid', claims PCA chief

England’s centrally contracted stars should receive greater compensation
because they are missing out on the big money available to players worldwide
in Twenty20 competitions such as the IPL – or so says Professional
Cricketers' Association chief executive Angus Porter.

Captains' cash: Brendon McCullum and Stuart Broad skippered their sides in Friday's T20, but New Zealand may have to do without McCullum against Broad and company come May's TestPhoto: AP

England’s best players are denied the chance to cash in on the IPL riches by the ECB, which insists they must be available for early season Tests. A compromise whereby they could play the first few weeks of IPL before returning to duty with the national side has proved unsatisfactory, with IPL franchises unsurprisingly unwilling to spend big on part-time talent. Several of England’s biggest players have found themselves unsold in the IPL's annual auctions.

Aside from the financial factor, England’s players could reasonably be aggrieved that they are missing out on the experience of IPL cricket to face a New Zealand side in England in May – when the Kiwis themselves will be without some of their best players due to IPL contracts.

Professional Cricketers' Association chief executive Angus Porter toldESPNcricinfo: “T20 leagues are very much an issue as we look at the next round of central contracts. It would be wrong to focus purely on the IPL; the fact is that England players have very little time to appear in any of the highly profitable T20 leagues or even in the Champions League.”

Hitherto, it had been understood that England players received lucrative central contracts to recompense them for missing out on the sort of T20 cash earned by players from countries will less wealthy boards. Not so, said Porter.

“It is quite wrong to presume that central contracts are adequate compensation. England players are substantially underpaid even before we factor in the lost earnings from potential T20 appearances. They are paid somewhere around half the amount of Australian players and most Australian players also have the opportunity to appear in the IPL and the BBL. We are asking that England players be given a chance to maximise their earnings.”

Aside from the financial element, all involved with England cricket have an interest in ensuring that the product is credible.

“It is very important to the ECB that the integrity of the early season Tests is maintained," Porter added. “But it isn't necessarily so important to the opposition."

England have just defeated New Zealand 2-1 in a Twenty20 series. They play three ODI matches and then three Tests in New Zealand this month and next. The Black Caps will then tour the UK in May and June, playing two Tests, three ODIs and two Twenty20s. Captain Brendon McCullum, best batsman Ross Taylor and veteran spin bowler Daniel Vettori are among those involved in the IPL; if they were to play five weeks in the IPL they would not arrive in England in time to play in the first Test.

Sunday Telegraph columnist Matt Prior, who went unsold in the IPL auction, has also hinted that players might become unhappy with the situation.

“The IPL and these Twenty20 competitions are not going away. People love them and the players enjoy playing in them, so there are going to be more and more people getting frustrated at the lack of opportunity to play in the IPL,” he told the BBC.